Food

Americans waste more than $160 billion in food per year, yet food insecurity is a daily problem for almost one in eight Americans. The number of Americans who struggle with hunger – 41 million – roughly matches the number officially living in poverty (43 million in 2016). Food insecurity has been tied to irreversible outcomes such as long-term health problems and learning difficulties for children, who experience higher rates of food insecurity. Getting enough food differs from getting the right kind of food: the difference in quality between rich and poor Americans’ diets has grown over recent decades, a gap attributed to the high cost of healthy foods and the prevalence of “food deserts” where low-income communities are isolated from grocery stores and farmers’ markets. This section of the Spotlight website gathers the latest research, news and opinion on food and poverty.